Main Squeeze / Basic Grey Guest Designer

It's Monday again....I hope you're doing well!  Today I'm sharing my second layout that I created for my Guest Designer spot over at Basic Grey this month.  I designed with the Sunkissed collection, and it is just so fun!  I was inspired by this fun "Main Squeeze" lemon die cut and knew I wanted to use it as my title for a layout about me and my husband.  This adorable lemon paper was perfect, and so I used a large part of it on my background.

I added some white gesso over everything before adding in some yellow inks and gelatos. You know I love a watercolor background, and the packaging technique is one of my favorites to achieve that look.  I cut a large messy circle on my Cameo using some of the yellow patterned paper and used it as a background element.  I also added some messy stitching to accentuate the circle.

All of these pieces are part of the collection.  I used some of the alphas from the sticker sheet and this large ampersand die cut to continue my title, and I added in a button and a cork sticker.  I added in some yellow thread to the center of the button to make it look sewn down.

Here's another button and some cute sequins.  You can really see the gesso and ink here...I love the color and texture it creates.  And I love these layers!

Here's another look at the title area beneath the photo.  I thought the cork went really well with this blue and yellow color scheme.

Here's a look at the little bottom cluster.  I added in this cute little lemon with some pop dots and echoed all the colors used in the top portion of the layout as well as the cork, sequins and button.

This collection is very versatile.  I got several different looks out of it, and if you love bright colors and fun patterns, you should definitely check it out!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Crazy BFF Adventure / A Flair For Buttons

Happy Sunday, friends!  I have a layout to share today for A Flair For Buttons, and I used two flair buttons from this set.  It's the Best Friends set.  I love that there are so many colors in this set, and they coordinate with almost any collection you want to use.

I pulled out some of my older American Crafts stash for this layout.  It's mostly the Yes, Please! collection from 2013.  I took whatever pieces I had left and created some layers behind my photo.  I did have this grey sheet that I used for my background, and I used some white gesso, Shimmerz and gelatos to create a watercolor effect.  Then I used four different thread colors to stitch some big messy circles over that.  I adhered all those layers and then decided to create a fun little banner on the side.

I used some Elle's Studio alpha stamps to create my title, and then cut the word "crazy" on my Cameo on white cardstock.  I used some Shimmerz and some acrylic paint to give it some color.  I added one of my flair buttons here, and I not only love the sentiment, but the color it gives.  Those cute glasses are from an older My Mind's Eye stamp.

Here's the other flair I used...it fit perfectly right on top of my photo next to this cute MAMBI sticker.  I love layering thread under my flair for interest and extra pops of color.  That's an easy and fast way to add color without having to take up more space with an embellishment.

Here's another look at those layers.  I fussy cut this big camera from patterned paper...I believe it's from the Neopolitan collection.  Here you can see the Shimmerz and other ink splatters.

Those "likes" are some older Heidi Swapp rub-ons...I wish I had more of them!  But I finally used them all up right here.  What a great feeling to use something up!  Yay!  I used a tiny HS triangle stamp here and around the page as well.

Here's the banner I created using a small circle punch.  I just cut the circles in half and arranged them like I wanted.  I used a tiny bit of adhesive and then stitched them down.  I ruffled them up so they would have some dimension.  The black camera is a stamp, and I cut it out and added pop dots.

Make sure you check out the A Flair For Buttons store on Etsy....so many amazing flair there!

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your Sunday, friends!

Together / The Cut Shoppe

Hey there, friends!  Today I'm sharing my latest layout for The Cut Shoppe.  I have an obsession with background cut files, and I couldn't wait to use this At An Angle cut file!

I shrunk the 8.5x11 cut file down to a smaller size and cut it on white cardstock.  I used papers from the Simple Stories I Am collection to back the cut file and then adhered it to the background paper.  I used white gesso over a lot of the area of the cut file and the background and then came in with ink sprays and gelatos to create a watercolor look.  I do this a lot, don't I?  Haha....I can't help it...I love it!

Here's a closer look at the cut file...it's such a unique and fun shape, and it's perfect for backing with patterned papers.  I used gold thread to stitch through each row, and I stitched black around the edges of the entire cut file.  I also added a bit of grey & white striped washi tape.

I used a few patterned papers behind my photo and then layered a flair button and few stickers and die cuts here.  I love the look of the gelatos and spray inks here...it creates such a great texture and color.

I fussy cut those pretty flowers from patterned paper.  I pulled in this Thicker from the Dear Lizzy Documentary collection.  I love how it curves perfectly over that "enjoy the ride" banner die cut.

Here's another angle of the title area and below the photo.  I love adding little details to my pages :)

And one more close up here...I added a little chipboard circle heart, a die cut tab and a fun sticker to the top of the photo.

Here's my process video for this page if you're interested in watching it come together from start to finish.  I hope it inspires you in some way :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget about the HUGE BLACK FRIDAY SALE going on NOW in the Shoppe!

Merry Memories / Hip Kit Club

Happy Friday, friends!  I've been so busy I forgot to share my Hip Kit Club layout from last week with you!  I used the 2015 November Hip Kits for this, and what makes these kits so special is the EXCLUSIVE papers and embellishments.  You can't get them anywhere else!

I used some of the exclusive cut files as well on this (by Nicole Nowosad).  I cut those cute little trees using different papers and layered them at an angle on the light kraft cardstock.  I always love adding mixed media to my pages (big shock, right?!) so I spread some white gesso first and then used a little bit of modeling paste through the exclusive stencil to create those little circles.  Next, I used some spray inks and gelatos to add in the teal watercolor look.

I really love these non-traditional colors for a Christmas layout...especially the pinks and teals.  I used some of the Pinkfresh Studio puffy stickers here as well as some of the exclusive acrylic shapes included in the kit.  I used some of the cut files to create my title, and I made it large to stretch across the layout.

I love adding touches of gold to my pages, and so I layered a bit of gold thread under my photos.  There is also some white tissue paper layered under there.

This 25 is also one of the cut files.  I have to say, these exclusive Hip Kit papers cut VERY smoothly on the Cameo.  I had absolutely NO tearing or ripping at all.  And I highly recommend sewing on your layouts...it really does add an extra element of detail as well as awesome texture and interest.  Those cute gold glitter stars are in the kits...they are from Maggie Holmes.

One last close up of this Basic Grey tag...I simply layered it behind my photos for an extra gold touch :)

Here's my process video for this layout...I hope you enjoy and get some ideas from it!

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Basic Grey Guest Designer / Fabulous Flier

Hey, friends!  I'm SOOOOOO over the moon excited to be the November Guest Designer for Basic Grey!  Yayyyyy!  I remember the very first sheet of scrapbook paper I ever bought in my local scrapbook store years ago was Basic Grey, and it was so pretty I never wanted to cut into it.  My heart skipped a beat when I received an email from THE Becky Fleck...yes....Becky Fleck!!  What!!  Of course I said YES! 

I received the beautiful new Sunkissed collection, and I created four layouts that are up on the BG blog today.  This is one of those pages.  I couldn't decide which papers to use first, so I used almost all of them!  I cut a bunch of butterflies on my Cameo and placed them on my background paper like they were flying out of the photo.  I did some mixed media work on the background using white gesso, gelatos and various spray inks.  I used my sewing machine to stitch through the centers of all the butterflies.

I just love these patterns and colors...they are so me!  I love them against this beautiful sky blue background sheet.  I added in some stickers and die cuts from the collection as well as some tangled thread from my stash.

This awesome "fabulous" die cut is part of the ephemera pack, and it makes the perfect title!  I paired it with some of the small pink alpha stickers and then added my journaling below it.

I'll be sharing my other pages in depth here on my blog in the next few days, so stay tuned!  In the meantime, you can check them all out on the BG blog.

A huge thanks to Becky and the Basic Grey Team for having me this month.  I has truly been an honor!

Have a great day, and a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow to all those who celebrate :)

High Goofy Factor / My Mind's Eye

Happy Tuesday, scrappy friends :)  Today I'm sharing my newest layout for My Mind's Eye.  I wanted to use the My Story collection to create a layout about something I'm thankful for.  I saw these silly pictures of me and my husband and thought about how grateful I am that we have such a down-to-earth relationship.  We aren't afraid to be goofy and silly together, and I love that about us.  So I decided to create this really long title....and I used #311 because our anniversary is March 11.  And I've been struggling with how to use those typewriters...problem solved!  I love when I get an idea that actually turns out well...haha :D

I started with some of the My Colors Glimmer Cardstock in Polished Stone...I just love this beautiful light grey color.  I have really been inspired by Paige Evans for quite a while, and one of her techniques is using a square punch to create mix-matched chevrons out of patterned papers.  I tried it for the first time and LOVED it!  You just cut the squares diagonally in half and then arrange them into triangle rows.  I adhered them all down and then added some white gesso.  I also added in some spray inks and gelatos for a messy watercolor look.

These colors....swoon!  I added some gold machine stitching once everything was dry.  I just love this texture and color.

Aren't these typewriters adorable?  I love that there is space on the "paper" to write something.  I used some alpha stickers and some alpha stamps to type my message.  The pink one is from the chipboard sheet, and the yellow one is from the sticker sheet.

I love these black & white alpha stickers from the Just Sayin' collection.  I'm almost out...I need more!  I love the shadowed look.  I smudged a bit of gesso over them to give them a worn-in look.

This is probably the longest title I've created in a while.  I mixed and matched so many things...three different alpha sticker sheets, a die cut from my Cameo and some alpha stamps on a piece of transparency paper.  I love the effect of using different alphas and elements to make a title.  It just keeps things interesting :)

I hope this inspires you to create a layout about something you're thankful for....even if it is something small.  I think all of those small things really turn out to be big things in the end :)

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for visiting me!

Creating a Shaker Element on a Layout / Shimmerz Education Team

Hey, friends!  I'm so excited to share my newest Shimmerz layout with you today!  I decided to try something new and create a big shaker element on my page.  I didn't use any patterned paper on this page at all.  It's all cardstock and a few embellishments.

I began with white cardstock and some clear gesso.  I used the plastic packaging technique with Vibez Jeni B Bleu and Coloringz O Say Can U Sea.  I wanted to bring out the blues and teals in the photo so it would contrast with the pink.  I added a bit of pink to the background using Shimmerz in Magenta.  I also added a little bit of lighter blue and teals to the background with Inklingz in Blue Lagoon, Me & Blue and Spotlight White and some Creameez in Ride the Tide.

I took a big piece of plastic packaging from a chipboard sheet and cut a giant heart out.  I sewed most of it down and then created a bunch of confetti to put inside it.  I did that by using my confetti punch.  I used all the Shimmerz colors on a scrap piece of white cardstock and then punched through it.  I added the circles to the heart and then finished stitching it.

I used a cut file from Just Nick that I've had laying around for a while.  I love how it looks over the background and shaker heart.  I also added in some random buttons from my stash.  I love all those little confetti circles....you can see how I did that in my process video below.  I used embellishments from the Maggie Holmes Shine collection.

I decided to add some pops of yellow, so I added in some Coloringz in No Yoking.  I just LOVE how Shimmerz products look on white cardstock!

I love these pretty colors together.  I made sure all the blues and teals were dry before adding the Magenta here.  I added just a drip and then used my small acrylic block to smudge it around.

Here's a close-up of all those tiny circles...all colored by Shimmerz :)  You could still do this idea even if you don't have a confetti punch.  You could simply cut strips with your scissors and then cut them into teeny squares.  You'd still get the same effect.

Here's my process video if you'd like to check out how this layout came together.  I hope it inspires you!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!  You can also check out the Shimmerz YouTube channel for even more Design Team inspiration!

Products Used:

 Coloringz--Heidi Ho Blue, Oh Say Can U Sea, No Yoking

Vibez--Jeni B Bleu

Shimmerz--Magenta

Inklingz--Spotlight White, Blue Lagoon, Me & Blue, No One's Chrome

Creameez--Ride the Tide

Show Me Your Teeth / My Scraps & More

Happy Friday, friends!  Today I'm sharing a layout I created for last week's Pinspirational Crop over on the My Scraps & More boards.  One of the challenges I issued for the crop was based on this Abstract Art pin.  I love the idea of getting messy and then creating something neat and organized out of it.

I created this layout based on the messy punched circle idea.  I used the Basic Grey B-Side collection for this, and I was inspired by the beautiful bright colors in it.  I took a sheet of white cardstock and used some of my ink sprays to create a messy design.  I used a stencil and acrylic block as well as just spraying and splattering the ink down.  Then I took a circle punch and created a lot of circles from my messy background.  I arranged them on another sheet of cardstock, adhered them and then did some stitching.

I did layer a few patterned papers behind my photo as well as add a bit of washi tape.  I also used some Jillibean Soup stamps to create more circle embellishments.

 Aren't these colors gorgeous!:  I love how the black pops against them.  I used several die cuts and stickers from the B-Side collection here as well as another JS stamp.

I combined some of the BG small alphas with a Cameo cut for my title.  I added one of my favorite things, too....tangled thread :)

You can check out how I created this layout from start to finish if you're interested.  I hope you are inspired by it as well as the pin!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Always Butterflies / November CREATE Magazine

Happy Thursday, friends!  This week the November 2015 issue of Scrapbook Generation's CREATE Magazine was released, and there are over 200 pages of gorgeous layouts and projects inside!  I have one layout and one off-the-page project published this month.  You can go HERE to download your FREE copy!

I'm sad to say, though, that this is the final issue of CREATE.  Debbie's life has gotten even more hectic these days, and so she made the decision to close the magazine.  It has been an amazing year working with her and our very talented design team.  I want to give a huge thank you to her for asking me to be a part of the 2015 Design Team.

I was assigned the Journaling Challenge this month, and the challenge was to use or write a Thank You note or letter as your journaling.  I couldn't think of a better person to thank than my awesome husband, so I wrote him a little note on this page.  I found this amazing quote on Pinterest and went with the butterfly theme.

I used some die cut butterflies that I created on my Cameo and then adhered them to white cardstock.  I heavily coated it all with white gesso.  I used gelatos, watercolor pencils and various inks to paint all around the edges of the butterflies and create this awesome watercolor look.   I used a few rub-ons and die cuts from Crate Paper, some sequins, a die cut from Cocoa Vanilla and some washi tape from my stash.

I love this quote!  I wanted the look of airy light butterflies flying everywhere, and I was so happy when my page turned out better than I imagined!  I combined a rub-on with a die cut for my title, and I printed the quote on vellum.

Those grey leaves are from Cocoa Vanilla.  I just used a Martha Stewart heart punch for this yellow heart.  And as always, I added some tangled thread for more texture and interest.

Here's the bottom of the page...just a bit of striped washi tape, some sentiment stamping (Maggie Holmes Shine), another little butterfly, some stitching and a cute sequin.

I love the texture here!  The gesso really did a great job of making this look so neat... I really love how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out the CREATE Magazine and see all the gorgeous projects inside!

Have a great day!